$16.36
Colombo Nitrate NO3 Marine water test kit prevents problematic algae growth.
Nitrates and phosphates are vital nutrients for algae. With the Colombo Nitrate and Phosphate test kits the nitrate and phosphate levels can be determined easily.
Fish excrete the toxic ammonia, which is converted into nitrate by beneficial bacteria. Phosphates are released from fish food.
As a guide you can say: The more fish you keep, the larger the production of nitrates and phosphates. By keeping the nitrate and phosphate levels at the optimal values algae growth is greatly reduced
Colombo have produced test kits that are developed especially for seawater. These tests give the best results!
Description
General Guidelines
- Ensure that the test tube is clean before use.
- Clean the tube directly after use.
- Take the volume of the water sample as precisely as possible.
- Keep the dripping bottle perfectly vertical during dropping.
- Take care that no air bubbles are included in the drops.
Test procedure:
- Take a water sample of 20 ml.
- Add 5 drops of NO3-1 test fluid and shake.
- Add 5 drops of NO3-2 test fluid and shake again.
- Add 1 spoon of nitrate powder (tube with green cap).
- Shake for 20 seconds.
- Wait 20 minutes and determine the NO3 -value using the included colour chart
For judging the colour of the water sample after adding all the test fluids, proceed as follows:
- Put the test tube on the included colour chart and look through the tube on to the chart from directly above it.
- Do not look in direct sunlight, but at indirect light.
- Compare the colour of the water sample with the colours on the chart.
- The closest colour shows the corresponding value. Generally the colours of the sample and on the chart will not be exactly the same, as values in practice will always be between the standard values, and thus a mixture of both consecutive values. Therefore, one should estimate between which colours the sample really lies.
How to adjust the range of the test:
The measuring range of our Nitrate test is 0 – 4 mg/l.
For reef tanks a Nitrate value of >4 mg/l is not recommended and can even be harmful for corals.
When water with a Nitrate content of > 4 mg/l is tested our test will show a deep red colour, indicating the Nitrate level is 4 mg/l or higher.
If you want to determine the Nitrate content in this case you can adjust the range of the test up to 8 mg/l or 16 mg/l.
In order to do this the water sample must be diluted with reverse osmosis water (RO water).
- Increase range to 8 mg/l. Take a water sample of 10 ml from your tank and add 10 ml RO water. Follow the standard instructions to test the Nitrate content. Compare the colour of the sample with the colour chart and double the value. E.g. 0.25mg/l becomes 0.5mg/l; 0.5mg/l becomes 1.0mg/l and so on.
- Increase range to 16 mg/l. Take a water sample of 5 ml from your tank and add 15 ml RO water. Follow the standard instructions to test the Nitrate content. Compare the colour of the sample with the colour chart and quadruple the value. E.g. 0.25mg/l becomes 1.0mg/l; 0.5mg/l becomes 2.0mg/l and so on.
Note: Make sure the RO water does not contain any Nitrates. Test the RO water you want to use to dilute the sample before use!
